


The Consort and the Concubine

by silkengloss



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Ancient China, Concubinage, Fem!Minghao, Genderbending, Multi, Nobility, Polyamory, Wonwoo and Minghao are twins here, and an ensemble cast of some Chinese (and Taiwanese) female idols, i might up the rating when i get to CERTAIN chapters..., just for Minghao though, might even add tags idk, royal court drama, side gyuhao and meanie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-10 01:42:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14727581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silkengloss/pseuds/silkengloss
Summary: Newly-crowned emperor Wen Junhui has to face his first major problem: his lack of an heir. Since his imperial consort Yuanyou obviously cannot provide him a child, the court officials plead for him to choose a female concubine among the noble families. Yuanyou, being the second-most powerful figure in the land, must instead provide a list of candidates...one of those candidates being his own twin sister, Mingmei.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be using the members' Chinese names in this fic. So, Wonwoo = Yuanyou; Mingyu = Minkui. Since Minghao is a girl here, his female name would be Mingmei. I did my best to edit and proofread this myself and with grammar checking sites, but mistakes are sure to pop up somewhere. ^^;;
> 
> Happy reading!

 

He thanked the gods that they allowed him to marry for love. He cursed them too, chastising them that they should've told him its consequences earlier on.

The senior court official knelt before the emperor seated on the golden dragon throne. The audience chamber filled with other courtiers, ministers, and eunuchs lain prostrate begging their ruler to do the one thing he dreaded. The moment he was crowned, Junhui expected this to happen, only, not so soon.

"Please choose a female concubine, Your Majesty!"

The phrase echoed throughout the chamber and it repeated itself in Junhui's mind throughout the pauses. He straightened himself on the throne. Hopefully, no one noticed him slumping in his seat.

"If I choose one," he said, "will that ease your hearts?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" they all bowed once more.

This has been going on for the past month since Junhui's coronation. He had found several ways to swerve from that topic.  To his credit, he always mentioned actual problems they needed to solve for the benefit of their glorious empire. Unfortunately, any one of the courtiers would also find a reason to mention his lack of an heir during their meetings. If Junhui were anything like the previous emperors, he would have had executed the men who would dare say a word of it right there and then. So far, Junhui was the kindest monarch in all of the Middle Kingdom's history. He was far _too_ kind, even.

 

* * *

 

The meeting was adjourned just in time for the emperor to begin doing his paperwork. He did this most often in his private library, where his beloved Yuanyou spent his free time reading from the vast collection of tomes. On the morning after their marriage, Junhui brought his consort to the one place accessed only by the reigning emperor—he was merely crown prince then. And there he promised his new husband that every scroll and book he could find there was free for him to read and borrow whenever he wanted. From then on, Yuanyou would enter the library using the only other duplicate key in the empire when he had no duties to perform.

True enough, Yuanyou was already seated on a cushion beside Junhui's desk when the emperor arrived. Junhui had once offered to give him his own desk but the imperial consort promptly refused. The desk was large enough for two people to share, and with him and his lean frame, Yuanyou wouldn't take up much space either.

"How was the court meeting?" Yuanyou asked without pulling his gaze from the scroll he was reading.

Junhui hummed and shrugged his shoulders.

"You have only been emperor for one full moon and you already seem like you have the most boring job in the world."

"In a way, it is," Junhui said. He crashed on his own cushion as if his legs knew exactly when to stop supporting his whole body. It had been a long day, and it wasn't even noon.

"Nothing exciting happened at all?"

"I have been asked _the question_ again," Junhui smirked.

This time Yuanyou hummed. "So what do you intend to do about it, my love?"

"I will be choosing a female concubine in five days' time," the emperor answered without hesitation. Though, Junhui thought, he should have worded it a little better for Yuanyou's sake. If there was any way at all to word it better.

His consort's eyes were now trained on him. Behind his glasses, Yuanyou squinted at his husband not because he couldn't see him well, but because this man acted without thinking. Again.

"We have not even talked about this," said Yuanyou, his voice somber.

"What about all the nights we _have_ talked about it?" Junhui reminded him.

The emperor caught him there. On the nights prior to their wedding day, the subject of offspring did find their way into their conversations. The court officials would never allow for Junhui's heir to be a child not of his blood, so adoption was out of the question. The old men went as far as hoping the then crown prince had a bastard child from a court lady or a random girl from the village. Any child no matter who birthed them was fit to rule as long as they were from the royal bloodline. Of course, Junhui was quick to brush off those unsavory wishes. He was a virgin after all…to women, at least.

He had always been faithful to Yuanyou since childhood. Ever since they became friends at the Imperial Academy, they've been attached to the hip. They played together, studied together, sparred together, and went through long and dull banquets together. Junhui wouldn't just claim any woman as his concubine without Yuanyou's consent. In fact, he gave his beloved consort the privilege to choose a suitable concubine for him when the time would come. That time was coming.

Yuanyou finally spoke. "Are you ready to have a concubine?" He meant that question for his husband, but it may as well be meant for him too.

Junhui swallowed. His eyes darted away to an obscure spot in the shelves. "I guess I am."

"You cannot guess. You must be sure," the imperial consort emphasized. "You must treat the woman who is to be the mother of your heir as you do me. She is not some toy you can play with and toss aside when you have grown tired of it."

Yuanyou was younger, but his profound wisdom used to frighten Junhui when they were kids. On a few occasions, he thought his friend would be more suited to become emperor than he. The bespectacled nobleman studied politics and economics religiously, while the actual heir to the throne busied himself with theatre and other frivolities. It's a miracle he had even ascended. Though he had a good hunch the courtiers wished there was someone else of worth ruling their empire.

His beloved always knew best. There was not one moment wherein he listened to Yuanyou’s advice and regretted it.

Junhui placed a hand over his own heart. "I assure you, my dear. I will treat my second spouse-to-be with the same affection and attention as I do you. You have my word." He then put Yuanyou's hand in his. "I also give you my trust. Choose someone who will suit me best. I have a lively personality, so my concubine must match me well. Someone as calm and collected as you, perhaps?"

The imperial consort couldn't help but blush at his husband's smile. It was the same smile he did that one day they ran for cover while taking a stroll and it started to rain. It was the same smile he did that made Yuanyou's heart flutter. That was years ago. They were barely fifteen and they still had a lot of the world to experience. Yet at that moment, Yuanyou was certain that even if the world had ended then, he wouldn't mind. Seeing his beloved's beautiful smile on his beautiful face was more than enough for him at that time.

"I will speak with the head councilman this afternoon," said Yuanyou with the softest voice. "A list of all potential ladies from the noble families must be prepared. And I shall be the one to write that list."

"Then you are going to need some help," noted Junhui. "The officials will surely add names of women I've never even heard of. A trusted assistant will keep the list concise with those who are truly deserving of a chance."

Yuanyou cocked his head to the side. "Who might you suggest can help me?"

The emperor giggled. Yuanyou may be one of the most intelligent people in the empire, but he failed spectacularly at catching the point sometimes.

"Why not ask your sister?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a straightforward imperial Chinese harem system, the emperor would have 1 principal wife called an 'empress' (of course). But in this story, the emperor's principal spouse is male, and it would be odd for him to be referred as such. 'Consort' is lower in rank compared to the empress, but the term itself is pretty gender-neutral (at least for me), so I used that as Wonwoo/Yuanyou's official title. I hope that clears up any confusion! Mingyu/Minkui and Minghao/Mingmei will be introduced in the next chapter! ^u^


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well this took a while...i hope everything makes sense because im really just pantsing this fic haha
> 
> Mingyu and girl!Minghao are finally here...for a little bit

 

Ever since Yuanyou married into the imperial family, the palace grounds were covered with only the most beautiful blooms of the empire. The consort loved flowers and as a wedding gift, the late emperor ordered for the gardens to have twice the amount and variety of rare flowering bushes and trees. It wasn’t expected of him, but Yuanyou joined the imperial gardeners in tending the plants every so often. Sometimes he would come back inside his private quarters with a flower crown he made for Junhui.

The sky was streaked with white clouds upon a canvas of calming blue that day. Yuanyou ventured into the gardens but for a different reason this time. He found the imperial architect busy with his drafts, a ruler, and a pencil, making a sketch inside the pavilion.

“What are you making this time, Minkui?” he asked as he entered the structure.

Minkui quickly shot up from his seat and bowed. “Greetings to His Majesty,” he said, and then stood straight. At full height, he was about an inch or two taller than Yuanyou. “A building on the east wing of the imperial compound needs to be renovated, according to the emperor. I was also given freedom to change its design as I see fit.”

“Which building are you referring to?”

“The Hall of Great Benevolence,” Minkui replied.

The name sounded familiar. There were many halls within the imperial compound and all of them had names like that. Yuanyou tried to remember the building, what it looked like and what it was for.

“Are you all right, Your Majesty?” asked Minkui as he prepared to catch Yuanyou in case he fainted.

“Y-yes. Why do you ask?”

“You appear unwell. Shall I call for a physician?”

Yuanyou waved him off. “No, I…just have a lot of thoughts in my mind. The emperor will be selecting a female concubine soon and I have to finalize a list of candidates in four days.” He gasped. “The hall! That hall used to be the dwelling place of the Honored Imperial Concubine of an emperor. Is that why he asked you to renovate that building?”

Minkui nodded. “I would guess so.”

“Oh, I remember what I needed to do out here. Minkui, have you seen my sister?”

The architect glanced up at the ceiling of the pavilion, hoping an answer would descend from there. “I believe I have seen Her Ladyship. She must be at the pond, though I only assume.”

Yuanyou thanked Minkui and nipped on over to where his sister may be. True enough, she was there. The pond was one of his twin sister’s favorite spots in the palace grounds. It was the most scenic of the already picturesque imperial compound. The most colorful flowers were planted there and since there was a water source, Mandarin ducks and snow-white swans often congregated there. Being a painter, Lady Mingmei would naturally stay in such an area.

He found his twin seated on a flat stone by the banks. A pair of ducks waded near her, waiting for her to toss them bits of the bread she nibbled on.

“Have you not painted enough ducks to fill an entire pond, dear sister?” Yuanyou dryly asked as he sat on a log next to her.

Mingmei shot him a glare and continued painting.

“They move too often, as ducks normally do,” she said. “Some days I find one resting by the cattails and notice how its feathers blend well against it. And some days I find a pair swimming together surrounded by the lotuses and notice how romantic they look.”

“And so you must paint every scene you see?”

“And so I must paint every scene I see,” Mingmei confirmed in a whisper. “What brings you here, dear brother?”

Yuanyou didn’t realize that he had spaced off staring at the ducks when she asked him a question. “Ah. You see...His Majesty, he…”

“What has he done to you? Shall I poke his eye?” Mingmei raised her paintbrush as one would a dagger. “I am ready to be executed for my actions if he has hurt you.”

“Please relax, Mingmei! The emperor has only decided to take in a concubine.”

Mingmei loosened her grip on the brush. “Oh. I did not think it would happen so soon.”

“My thoughts exactly. That is why I need your help.”

The noblewoman raised her brow. “Gathering and choosing the candidates is your duty, is it not? What do you need my help for?”

Yuanyou joined her on the flat rock. “You spend more time mingling with the daughters of the nobles. Maybe you can recommend me some ladies to add to the list.”

“ _Gege_ , those ladies are the same people who would not even talk to me because they find me...odd. How am I supposed to recommend any of them?”

“But you have observed them from afar,” said Yuanyou. “You may at least have an idea of how they are like when amongst others.”

“Trust me,” Mingmei warned her brother. “Those women will only stress His Majesty out. No matter their rank or upbringing, none of them are fit to be a companion—let alone a concubine—for the emperor.”

Mingmei stuffed the rest of her bread into her mouth and began gathering her painting materials and bound them all up in a cloth. Her muses had flown away during her conversation with her twin. The pond was left still and quiet.

“ _Meimei_ , please,” Yuanyou gently grabbed her sleeve. “Just...list down some names for me. I will handle the rest.”

Mingmei looked at him with a mixture of worry and annoyance etched on her face. Whether it was some sort of twin telepathy or whatnot, Yuanyou felt like he understood his sister’s sudden dour mood. Like him, she was a close friend of the emperor as a child. It was always just the three of them. When Junhui didn’t review his lessons with Yuanyou, he was surely sword-fighting with Mingmei. The daughters of the other courtiers shunned the poor girl because of those two things: being close to Junhui and being more focused in martial arts rather than ‘feminine’ endeavors (though to her credit, Mingmei was just as adept in floral arrangements and needlework as any noblewoman). Yuanyou was certain that merely thinking of those ladies’ names sent the bile rushing up Mingmei’s throat. He wasn’t fond of them either, having suffered their biting comments through hushed whispers.

This was one of the few moments Yuanyou wished he was a girl. That way, he himself could provide his beloved husband a child or two. And Junhui wouldn’t have to deal with any one of those women for as long as he lived.

The consort was startled when he felt a warm palm on his cheek. Mingmei held him just as she would whenever he fretted over problems.

“All right. I will have a list ready by tonight,” she told him. “Now, stop worrying about it.”

 

* * *

 

On a typical evening, the imperial consort leisured himself with a game of _weiqi_ in his bedchamber. His usual opponent would be none other than, well, himself. Junhui would occasionally play with him but for Yuanyou, there was no fun in playing against someone as predictable as his sweet husband. At the back of his mind, he worried for Junhui. He was far too naïve and gentle to be ruling an empire by himself.

Maybe that’s why the court allowed him to marry someone of his sex for as long as it was Yuanyou. The son of the previous emperor’s advisor was well on his way to becoming a top scholar if it weren’t for the fact that the young crown prince had fallen deeply in love with him. There was no one else who could keep the rowdy prince in his place better than Yuanyou, and the late emperor knew that.

Yuanyou was about to make the winning move on the board (using the white pieces) when one of his handmaidens announced the presence of a visitor. He told them to allow the person in.

“Your Majesty,” the scrawny man greeted. Yuanyou recognized him to be Mingmei’s personal servant, a eunuch. “I have come to deliver a scroll to you from Her Ladyship.”

“Thank you.” Yuanyou took the scroll from him. “Has my sister...mentioned anything else that she wishes to say to me?”

He didn’t even know why he asked that. It was too late to take that question back now.

“None that I know of, Your Majesty.”

“I see. You may take your leave.”

The eunuch bowed and left the imperial consort’s villa.  

Yuanyou ordered his staff to give him some privacy as he perused the scroll his sister sent him. He recognized some of the names in the list.

 

_Wu Xuanyi_

_Meng Meiqi_

_Cheng Xiao_

_Zhou Jieqiong_

_Song Yuqi_

 

He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. It was not nearly midnight, yet his fatigue was setting in. There were more names on the list than he expected. He read through it again and on the second reading, he felt his stomach jump to his chest.

Somewhere in the middle of the parchment of names, one confused him that he blinked a few times just to make sure he saw that right. The name was all too familiar.

_Quan Mingmei_

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weiqi = that board game with the black and white pebble-like pieces you see in most East Asian historical dramas
> 
> and yeah, girl!Minghao aka Mingmei's surname is Wonwoo/Yuanyou's (Chinese) surname, for the sake of clarity :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was (amazingly) rushed. It also feels amazingly short and apologize for that and any other mistakes that may have found their way into this chapter.
> 
> I promise I'll do some spot editing once this fic is finished. I just wanted to write this before I lost interest in it.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

_ "You will become my empress, right?” _

_ “Um, Your Highness...is it not too early for you to be talking about such a thing?” _

_ “Hmm? What do you mean? I am fourteen years old, nearly a grown man. I believe it is fine for me to be pondering on that.” _

_ “I guess you are correct. But even if you ask me that again once you are crowned emperor, I doubt I will ever say ‘yes’.” _

  
  


For the first time in his life, Yuanyou couldn’t understand what his twin sister was thinking. Even as he handed over the finalized list to the council, he just couldn’t brush off the possible reasons why Mingmei had done that. 

“Is this a trick of the eyes?” voiced out one councilman. “Quan Mingmei is a candidate.”

“It must be someone who shares the same name as Her Ladyship,” said another. “Your Majesty, please clarify this.”

“No, no. That is indeed my sister,” Yuanyou said blankly.

“Outrageous!” the eldest councilman exclaimed. “His Majesty cannot marry his own sister-in-law. Imperial Consort Quan, why have you included your sister in this list?”

_ Yes, Yuanyou. Why  _ have  _ you included her? _

“You see—” Yuanyou tried to get his brain in motion.  _ Find a plausible answer quickly! _ “—my sister...I wanted her to be present in the selection process as some sort of...variable to test the candidates. Mingmei’s presence may affect their actions and their personalities. As such, we—and most especially the emperor—will see if any one of them is fit to become the Imperial Concubine if she is able to show grace under pressure.”

The old man’s face lit up. “Ah! I see! What an excellent idea, Your Majesty. As expected from the wisest consort in the history of the Wen dynasty.”

Yuanyou exhaled the breath he held through his smile. He honestly didn’t think they would accept that. Well, it was far better than telling them that he was nearly about to crash on his bed so he simply added her name in without a second thought. That would have been a worse reason.

The councilmen took their leave once Yuanyou gave the order to send the invitations to the houses of the candidates. They scheduled for the first day of the selection to be held on the first day of the succeeding month, which would be two days away. Quite sudden, thought Yuanyou. Would the candidates be ready by then? But he really has no care for any of the ladies on the list. All he worried about was his sister. He hasn’t seen her since they met at the pond the other day. 

He took an alternate route from his quarters to the gardens, the same route Junhui once showed him and Mingmei when they were children. It was shorter and seldom traversed, which meant Yuanyou didn’t need to respond to anyone who bowed to him on the way there. A couple of stray ferns blocked it from the main path, however. And it was a pain to push through it and not get the sensitive silk of his robes caught on the stalks. 

He reached the other side of the pond but jumped slightly upon seeing someone else standing there who wasn’t his sister.

“My love?”

Junhui turned towards Yuanyou’s voice. The soft rays of the morning sun bathed his face, making his skin appear more gold than tan. With his bright yellow robes patterned with gilded dragons, Junhui appeared like a life-sized statue sculpted from actual gold. 

“What are you doing here, dearest?”

Yuanyou leaped out of the thicket with the helping hand of his husband. “I should be asking you that.”

“I just wanted to see the ducks,” he answered. “They are quite adorable.”

Junhui let Yuanyou stand comfortably next to him and intertwined his firm fingers with his husband’s soft ones. Suddenly it felt like they were in the early stages of falling in love again. The scene was almost the same as the first time: the two of them standing quietly by the pond, taking in the serenity of the moment before it was time to go back inside. There were no words, not that they needed any. Just knowing one was beside the other gave both rof them comfort. Security.

A pair of ducks waded in front of them. Nothing out of the ordinary. Yet Yuanyou wondered what was so different with this scene. They were next to a pond. Of course, there would be ducks. He watched them intently. The pair weaved through the tall reeds and swam following the curve of the large lily pads. They chased a dragonfly that hovered just a little too close to them.

 

_ “Yuanyou! Keep up with me! Or we will miss the fireworks show.” _

_ “Your Highness, these alleys are much too narrow!” _

_ “Then give me your hand. I will lead you out faster.” _

 

“Such a colorful pair, are they not?”

Junhui’s voice startled him. 

“Oh. Yes. Yes, they are,” Yuanyou uttered.

A colorful pair? Only male Mandarin ducks are colorful.

Oh.

“They look like our duck figurines,” said Junhui, reminiscing. “The ones we received on our wedding day.”

The figurines they received (from the late emperor, no less) were both fashioned after male ducks too. Every couple from a noble family get a pair as gifts when they get married. But having both male or both female ducks was a... _ very _ rare occurrence. Junhui wasn’t particularly close to his father, yet no matter how small and expected the gesture he did, it made him grow closer to the former monarch. And Yuanyou felt the same for him too.

A duck with a dark brown coat swam near the two, drifting close to the slightly larger male one.  

“You will have another pair of figurines soon,” Yuanyou said sullenly. “This time one will be a female.”

Junhui sighed and squeezed Yuanyou’s hand tighter.

“You will be surprised at the ladies included in the running to become your concubine,” the consort continued in more light-hearted tone.

“Will you tell me who they are?”

“Ah, my dear, you will not believe me when I say—” Yuanyou gasped and held his hand to mouth before he could speak another word.

That was too close. He wasn’t sure if this was the right place or the right time to tell Junhui. Either way, he would still find out. That is if his twin would push through with whatever she had planned. Yuanyou recalled why he needed to go the pond in the first place. He needed answers. And he needed them as soon as possible.

“When you say what, dear love?” Junhui asked him.

“Uh, nothing. Nothing. You are not supposed to know anything about the candidates until the day of selections.”

Junhui huffed and pouted like the child he once was. “How cruel of you to destroy the bridge right after you have crossed it.”

Apologetically, Yuanyou left a peck on the emperor’s cheek. Junhui smiled a bit, but his eyes still bored holes on his husband’s head trying to pry him for the next part of his incomplete sentence.

He couldn’t get him to speak. He had to return to the royal audience chamber for more meetings he had no interest in. When he invited his husband to join him inside, Yuanyou insisted on staying in the gardens. There was an hour before the next meal for him to walk around more. And he needed this time to look for his sister.

 

In the end, he couldn’t find her, not even in her villa. It was there that he was informed that Lady Mingmei had gone back to the Quan family’s ancestral home and would not return to the palace until the deliberation day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey...the concubine selection process will start in the next chapter! Also, I may add some more characters for fun. And I made this fic viewable for non-registered users too because eh~ (i actually have a dumb reason why i made it public in the first place...don't ask haha) ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The concubine selections have begun! And things are about to go down (no pun intended ohohoho). ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, this went through so many edits because 1) the plot I had planned just suddenly confused ME of all people, and 2) because of point 1, I had to rewrite several things. I thought I wouldn't be able to update it on time (though tbh I never wanted to follow a strict updating schedule...it just so happens that I update every other week). This whole chapter still isn't perfect, but I did my best. Like I said before, I will spot edit every chapter eventually because I do have a soft spot for this story and I want to show it in its best form. Enjoy!

The concubine selection process wasn’t as grand as the queen selection process. Still, the Forbidden City was decorated with colorful streamers and banners to attract the gods to guide both the candidates and the Imperial Consort. Of all those participating, Yuanyou probably needed that heavenly guidance most of all.

The noblewomen presented themselves in the Palace of Serene Grace, Yuanyou’s abode. The Imperial Consort wore a stunning red-and-violet robe with golden phoenix prints, a stark contrast to the simple yet elegant cream-and-peach robes of the candidates. A eunuch announced the candidates’ names one by one. Each of the ladies entered at the calling of their name, bowing to His Majesty and introducing themselves before taking their spots in straight columns in front of the dais.

Everyone inside the palace held in their breath when the last candidate ambled to the center aisle. Yuanyou locked eyes with her. The girls who were standing in attention in their respective positions murmured among themselves.

“Is that not Her Ladyship? Quan Mingmei?”

“The emperor’s sister-in-law? What is she doing here?”

“Is she a candidate as well? This must be some kind of joke.”

An elderly woman, the senior court lady, silenced the buzzing. Though she stole a quick glance at Yuanyou, equally as confused as the rest of those in the room.

“Quan Mingmei brings greetings to His Majesty,” Mingmei said.

Stone-faced, Yuanyou nodded his head once to her in response. His twin sister walked to the end of the line of candidates standing on his right side. There, she stood coolly next to a certain Zhou Jieqiong. With his command, the noblewomen knelt down in unison in two columns facing each other.

For the very first task, the candidates had to prepare and pour tea for the members of the royal family present in the palace. It was a measure of their basic hosting skills. A companion of the emperor must be able to serve tea to not only His Majesty but also his guests and relatives with poise and confidence. Aside from the Imperial Consort, Junhui’s aunts—ranked as princesses—were also there to oversee the proceedings.

There were twelve candidates, and Yuanyou gulped uneasily. On regular days he could consume ten servings of tea or more, but twelve cups straight without even a light snack to munch on in between made his stomach churn.

Song Yuqi stepped up first. The princesses were impressed with her gentle but precise movements. She had been trained well by the looks of it. However, Yuanyou noticed a slight tremble in her fingers barely brushing against the hem of her sleeve. The other girls weren’t so subtle in hiding their nervousness. Wu Xuanyi brewed hers a little too bitter. Meng Meiqi trembled so much that the cover of the teapot tinkled like wind chimes as she poured. Chou Tzuyu, lovely as was, filled one cup to the brim by accident and overflowed the next one. That being so, the last cup only had a few drops left.

Among the candidates, Jieqiong showcased the most professionalism. Her tea was brewed to perfection. The cups were filled in equal parts. As she served the cup to Yuanyou, she stole a glance at him then looked back to the floor. Yuanyou had to admit, not only did she have skills; she had a pretty face too. If a doll could move on its own, that doll would be her. The only other girl in the room to match her beauty was Tzuyu.

Jieqiong would’ve been the top candidate for the first task, but there still was one more girl to prepare and serve tea.

Mingmei strode to the front so ethereally that she appeared as if she simply floated off the ground. She gave a curt bow to her twin brother and began to steep the tea as the other candidates watched on.

 

* * *

  

It was nearly impossible to keep the emperor in one place, especially when there were other events happening within the palace compound.

Junhui slipped into a dark blue robe, the same ones worn by noblemen with no royal lineage. He removed his gold coronet and replaced it with a simple silver hairpin. He convinced the eunuch assigned to him to stand in for him (while dressed in Junhui’s imperial robes) and shoo off any guards or court ladies that would come too close to his room. With his body double settled, Junhui snuck out of his quarters as quiet as a cat.

He took a shorter, more untraversed path to Yuanyou’s dwelling place. Thoughts of arriving at his consort’s palace unnoticed clouded his mind that he carelessly bumped into someone. Oh, the irony. Fortunately for him, the person he collided with was not a guard, but a young scholar.

“Forgive me, sir—ah! Your Majesty!” Cui Hanshuai gasped at the realization and lowered down to kowtow.

Junhui held him up by the shoulders and hushed him. “Be quiet. Or the guards will know I am here.”

“Sire,” Hanshuai spoke softly, “may I ask what you are doing in a nobleman’s clothing?”

“I want to witness the concubine selection process. They cannot know that I am nearby.”

“But...that is against protocol!”

The emperor sighed at Hanshuai’s remark. Unlike his easygoing father, Grand General Cui Shengche, the scholar was such a stickler for the rules. But because of his innocence (and because Junhui was the emperor), he was easily persuadable.

“I know that. But I would like to see the candidates for myself.”

Hanshuai’s bright eyes twinkled at the word _candidates_. “You will not believe who is vying to become your concubine, sire. Quite shocking if I do say so myself. I asked the council about it and they seem unbothered. Maybe it was planned?”

Junhui raised a brow. “Who is this candidate you speak of?”

Before Hanshuai could answer him, a pair of ministers were walking towards their direction. Junhui had to leave if he didn’t want to be caught by anyone else.

“Never mind. Do not tell a soul that I will be at the imperial consort’s palace.”

Hanshuai nodded obediently and pinched both of his lips together.

The emperor left him without another word. A few more steps and he would be in the premises of Yuanyou’s palace.

“Your Majesty, is that you?” a voice called out from behind him.

He turned around saw Minkui’s tall figure. Junhui cursed under his breath. _Is the universe against me today?_

“Shh!”

“Oh. Forgive me, sire. I did not expect to see you around these parts,” said Minkui, noticing the emperor’s clothes. “Are you attempting to run off to the marketplace again?”

Junhui shook his head. “Today is the first day of the concubine selections. I would like to take a peek at the proceedings.”

“Ah, I see.”

Before Junhui could take another step, Minkui had more to say. “Speaking of which, the renovations for the Palace of Benevolent Peace is nearing completion. The carpenters are doing an excellent job. You must have promised them handsome gifts in return for their service.”

“Yes, yes.” Impatience was gnawing at the emperor.

“Are you going into Imperial Consort Quan’s palace now? Would you like me to accompany you? I can cover for you and keep the guards and passers-by at bay.”

_So this towering tree of a man does have other purposes after all._

“All right. But keep your voice down. Yuanyou will not be happy if he finds out about this.”

The two reached a blind side of Yuanyou’s palace. Junhui pressed his ear at the wall. He was aware of the solemnity required in the process of examining the concubines, but the sound of troubled muffled murmurs was something he did not expect. His heart skipped at the loud thud that followed.

“Did you hear that?” whispered Junhui.

“Yes,” Minkui said. “Did something fall?”

“No, it does not sound like an object. More like…” His widened, worried eyes matched Minkui’s.

“...a person!”

Junhui and Minkui dashed to the main entrance, momentarily startled by the senior court lady running the opposite direction while calling for help.  The guards standing watch immediately followed the emperor and Minkui inside.

Everything seemed to be at their proper places. No signs of forced entry. The only thing out of the ordinary was that everyone in the room was sprawled unconscious on the floor.

“Yuanyou? Yuanyou!” cried Junhui.

He hopped up the dais where his beloved’s body slumped over his little table. Yuanyou’s face felt slightly clammy, and his breathing was staggered. The consort was alive but knocked out cold for whatever reason. Junhui’s screaming prompted the guards to enter the room as well.

“Guards, get the physicians! Quickly! Minkui! Minkui?”

The architect cradled a woman in his arms. His eyes met Junhui’s, mimicking the concern and confusion on the emperor’s face.

“Sire…”

Junhui squinted to get a clearer look at the woman Minkui held. She wore the same colored robes as the rest of the candidates, but it didn’t make sense to him.

“Is that...is that Mingmei?”

Minkui’s brows furrowed as he gazed on Mingmei’s pallid face. He lightly tapped her cheek several times.

“Your Ladyship?” he whimpered. “Lady Mingmei, please wake up.”

The senior court lady finally returned along with several of the royal physicians. They and the guards carefully carried the candidates and the princesses out of the palace while one of the physicians stayed behind with the consort. Junhui carried Yuanyou to his bedroom by himself and Minkui was told to watch over Mingmei.

As the physician did the initial tests on Yuanyou’s unconscious form, Junhui stood by the door frame. He wanted to stay and look after his husband, but he also needed to understand what just happened. With all the witnesses being victims themselves, there was no one he could question. Except for one.

Junhui glanced at the senior court lady standing by the entrance of the palace. She sobbed heavily onto a handkerchief as the princesses and the young candidates were being carried out. The emperor sauntered towards her, almost broodingly so. As soon as she realized who was in front of her, the senior court lady dropped to her knees and kowtowed. With Junhui’s silent command—a subtle jerk of his head—the two guards nearest him brought the old lady up to her feet.

“Your Majesty, I have not done anything wrong,” said the senior court lady. “I am innocent. I swear on my life!”

“I have not even said anything to you yet. I do have a question to ask you. But I think you already know what that question is.”

The once warm brown eyes of the emperor shifted into cold, dark orbs. The soft curves of his eyelids seemed to have harshened, like a wild cat on the prowl. His voice lowered in pitch. At that moment, the kind emperor traded in his usual sweet face for the mask of a vicious monarch.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *does my special happy dance because next chapter will finally be Mingmei's POV chapter*
> 
> If any of you didn't catch on (but I'm pretty sure you did coz you're all smart), Hanshuai is Hansol and Shengche is Seungcheol. And they're father and son because why not? :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR DEAR IMPERIAL CONSORT QUAN YUANYOU AKA JEON WONWOO!! I’m so glad I finished editing this in time for me to upload this right on Wonwoo’s birthday. I originally wanted to make fan art of him to celebrate but then I remembered I have this fic and if I finished the new chapter, I’d be able to upload it on his birthday so I did this one instead. Things will get a little more intense starting this chapter. Just a little. Maybe. Idk… Anyway, as always, please enjoy! (This is my longest chapter yet just to let you know haha it’s not even important.)

It had only been the first day of the selections, but to Mingmei, it felt like a whole week had passed.

She woke up in a room that looked slightly different from her twin’s palace. The scent of strange tonics and medicines burned her nostrils when she took in a breath. She forced herself to sit up, but the invisible weight in her skull held her down and throbbed with every minute movement she made.

“I am aware of your weak constitution, Your Ladyship.” a sweet, calm voice said. “I am aware that you also heal quickly. How fortunate for the both of us.”

With what little energy she had, Mingmei turned her head to the direction of where the voice came from.

“Where am I?” Mingmei croaked. She hasn’t sounded that bad since her high fever last winter.

“The royal infirmary, my lady.”

“Where is my brother? Where are the others?”

“His Majesty is safe in his own quarters with his personal physician. Their Highnesses are back in their own palaces while the other candidates are here in this building.”

“How did all twelve of us get here?”

“Architect Jin Minkui and—” the physician named Yin Jinghua paused abruptly, then continued. “—a court minister were near the premises of Imperial Consort Quan’s palace. That is all I was told by the senior court lady who came here to call for help.”

“Minkui…” Mingmei muttered absently. She only realized how loud she said his name when Jinghua smiled at her.

“Since you are the first to wake up,” Jinghua began, “may I ask, do you remember anything before you fainted?”

Mingmei bit her lip. Yes, as a matter of fact, she did remember.

Eleven of the candidates showcased their skills in tea preparation and Mingmei was the last one to show hers. The princesses weren’t at all surprised at her deft movements. Being the Imperial Consort’s sister (and now oddly enough, a concubine candidate for her own brother-in-law), she would have had extra training to be presentable to the royal court. The actual tea servants of the emperor would be ashamed of themselves if they tasted this noblewoman’s brewed tea. Mingmei moved with such finesse pouring and serving the relatives and her twin brother as if she were performing a well-rehearsed dance.

There was no need for her to look at those behind. Mingmei could feel the jealous glares of the other candidates stabbing her back. She did what she had to do nonetheless, and finished the task without breaking a sweat.

It was only when she started walking back to her place that the eldest princess on the dais began heaving in discomfort. The senior court lady rushed to her aid but the old woman’s eyes fluttered shut and she fell forward. The other princesses doubled over and fainted mere seconds later. Yuanyou tried to stir them awake but was stunned by the candidates themselves falling unconscious. Something clicked in him. He stood up to run to Mingmei only to have his legs buckle and his vision turn muddy, sending his body crashing to the desk in front of him.

Mingmei opened her mouth to shout for help, yet no sound came out. Then everything went dark.

When Mingmei finished recalling the events, Jinghua nodded in affirmation.

“What happened to all of us?” the noblewoman asked.

“You were poisoned, apparently.” The physician carried a tray of medicines and bowls of hot water to a table nearest a still unconscious Tingyan. “Luckily, it was a drug of mild effect. Whoever slipped it in the tea leaves you used either had no intention to kill anyone or had no idea how practically useless it was. It does weaken the body though especially in multiple doses.”

Then Yuanyou and the princesses must be in worse conditions. “Have they found the one responsible?” Mingmei prodded.

Jinghua huffed and smiled at her, almost impatiently. “No, my lady. Now please rest some more. I have been told by Master Minkui to give you special attention. I cannot make for certain that you are fully healed if I have to keep answering your questions.”

Goodness, how peevish of her, Mingmei thought. She sank her head deeper into her pillow. That poison or whatever that was and the medicine used to counter it mixed into an amalgamation of odd sensations in her body. She felt fine yet at the same time, she silently hoped there was a bucket next to her bed in case the unexpected happens.

“This is all your fault,” hissed a voice on the bed beside her.

Mingmei didn’t bother turning to see who it was that said it. She has heard that voice one too many times in her childhood, in that same condescending tone no less.

“First _you_ become a concubine candidate,” she continued, “and now you have poisoned us all including His Majesty. What are you planning, Quan Mingmei?”

“I had nothing to do with this,” Mingmei retorted, eyes fixed to the ceiling. “Do yourself a favor and get some rest, Jieqiong. The poison has muddled your head too.”

“Liar. I know what you want. You plan to seduce the emperor and steal your brother’s crown so that you may become empress.”

“I have my own reasons for becoming a candidate, and I assure you that that is not one of them.”

“You two had better keep it down or else I will force-feed both of you sleeping tonics,” Jinghua snapped.

It didn’t matter to Jinghua that Mingmei and Jieqiong were ladies of noble birth. As long as they were on the beds of the royal infirmary, they were under her mercy. If the emperor himself fell gravely ill, his life would be at the hands of the physicians. Sickness didn’t care for ranks and titles.

Jieqiong nearly snapped back but refrained herself in fear that the Imperial Consort had spies checking up on the candidates’ behavior, bed-ridden or otherwise. She pouted, rolled to her side, and pulled the covers over her head. Mingmei couldn’t help but chuckle quietly at the other woman’s childish actions. In the days of their youth, Jieqiong reprimanded her the most for _her_ seemingly childish antics. All Mingmei ever did in her presence was paint or read or practice her swordsmanship or, on occasion, catch dragonflies. Zhou Jieqiong had been the model noblewoman the other high-born girls looked up to since her childhood. And while the other young girls fawned over her grace and beauty, Mingmei kept to herself, improving on her own skills and enjoying her time with her twin brother and the crown prince when time permitted it.

Mingmei smiled inwardly.  It was a fact Jieqiong and the other noblewomen knew but constantly denied to themselves. Quan Mingmei always had the upper hand to anything and everything, whether it’d be recovering from illness, or conquering Emperor Wen Junhui’s heart.

 

* * *

 

Like his twin, Yuanyou recovered quickly that evening despite the amount of poisoned tea he drank. Although still disoriented, he was able to get up on his own two feet and walk without help. Notwithstanding the pounding ache of his head, Yuanyou proceeded towards the door.

“Your Majesty, you are not yet well!” his personal physician, Hong Zhixiu, said worriedly.

“I am,” declared the consort. “Where are the candidates? How are they faring?”

“I have spoken to Jinghua earlier,” replied Zhixiu, leaping to Yuanyou’s side the second he noticed him wobbling. “Two have awoken just a few hours after they have been taken in. Lady Zhou Jieqiong...and your sister, I recall.”

 _She is alright._ Yuanyou breathed a sigh of relief. He hated that he didn’t care much for the other noblewomen, but most of them were spoiled and snooty and feigned humility in his presence. Mingmei was the most important to him. Her and Junhui.

“Where is the emperor? Does he know what happened? Who could have done this?” he asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty, he—” Zhixiu paused and swallowed “—he is fully aware of the situation. As for who had done it, I am afraid I am not certain. His Majesty suspects Court Lady Huang to be at fault.”

The senior court lady was the only one in the room who was not able to drink the tea. Yuanyou’s breathing hitched when the pieces connected.

“Where is he? And Court Lady Huang? Where are they?”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I do not know.” Zhixiu’s lips quivered as he bent prostrate in Yuanyou’s direction. “You may ask Master Minkui. He was one of those who found you all unconscious.”

“Minkui? Jin Minkui?”

Zhixiu nodded. Yuanyou had no clue what Minkui was doing near his palace that time but he felt no need to figure out why at that moment. With Mingmei awake and well, his next priority was his husband.

Junhui was impulsive and unpredictable. One day he would be jovial and spirited, then he’d be somber and silent the next. But Yuanyou had never seen him lash out at anyone, not even those who dared to disrespect him. His heart wrenched. It was as if it was telling him that this would be the day he would witness another side of his beloved. A side he never knew existed. A side he never wanted to see. He had to find his husband soon. And if his hunch was true, that he had either taken Court Lady Huang in for questioning—or worse, for torturing—he needed to stop him.

The Imperial Consort took his glasses and his thick evening cloak and set out to the Emperor’s palace first. When he arrived, he was taken aback to find someone else already waiting at the entrance.

“Where is he?” asked the person at the arch leading to the palace compound.

Yuanyou recognized that voice immediately. He sauntered closer, quietly.

“Apologies, my lady. His Majesty has ordered us not to tell anyone of his current whereabouts.”

“Not even me?” Yuanyou interjected.

He masked his unstable gait with the forced posture of how the nobility would walk: back straight and chin high. He approached the guards cautiously, minding the eyes of his twin sister locked on him.

“Will you not tell me where he is?” he questioned them, though it sounded more like a command.

The guards glanced at each other and bowed their heads.

“Incredible,” he mumbled, placing his hands on his hips. The movement caused him to lose his balance ever so slightly due to his current physical condition. “What is my lord husband up to that his own guards have the audacity to refuse me?”

Yuanyou turned to his sister and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“ _Meimei_ , I am glad you are alright. But what are you doing here at this hour?”

“I should be asking you the same question.” Mingmei stretched her arms out to hug her brother. The act was unsightly, especially in front of the imperial guards, but she badly needed the warmth of someone near and dear to her. “I hounded Physician Yin to tell me who the culprit is until she finally gave in. His Majesty suspects the senior court lady, she said. But I have a strong feeling she is innocent.”

“She _is_ innocent, that I know. I was with her preparing the tea leaves that were going to be used.” Yuanyou grabbed her other shoulder with his other hand. An act both to assure to her the truth in his words and to balance his body. “She did not appear to act strangely in my presence. Someone else may have sabotaged the tea leaves before we divided them into separate jars.”

“We must find the emperor, _gege_. If you tell him of your observations, he will believe you. He always believes anything you say.”

“If the guards won’t tell us where he is, then we ought to find him ourse—”

The consort’s speech slurred and he felt himself getting lightheaded and his body growing cold and limp. It was a weird feeling, losing the sense of everything just when he could still see, hear, smell, and touch things mere seconds before.

Maybe Zhixiu was right all along. Maybe Yuanyou wasn’t fully recovered yet. Did Mingmei or the guards catch him in time? Would he be awake before Junhui made a decision he would regret? His questions vanished like smoke and he couldn’t retrieve them for even his own thoughts succumbed to the darkness. He let go and allowed the void to consume him once more.

It had only been the first day of the selections, but to Yuanyou, it felt like the process would go on far longer than it should.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the additions of girl!Jeonghan (Jinghua...his male name in Chinese would be Jinghan) and Joshua (Zhixiu) in this story. Since it’s also Seventeen’s comeback, please stream _Oh My!_ , tweet the official hashtags, and mention @pledis_17 on Twitter as much as you can. If you like, you can also follow me on Twitter [@woozailee](https://twitter.com/woozailee) ^u^


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I'd finish this chapter before my "deadline", but I made it! I'm still trying my best to give this story some sense. If there's something in this chapter you don't understand, don't worry, there's a high chance I don't understand it either ahaha!

Senior Court Lady Huang had served the royal family for decades. Every nook and cranny (including the secret passages in case of emergencies) was ingrained in her memory banks. There was no such place in the Forbidden City that she didn’t know. There were places, however, she prayed to the gods she’d never step foot in. One of those was the northwest corner of the massive imperial complex which the other servants referred to as the Bloody Court.

On her ailing knees and with her body trembling profusely, she held her head down in front of the emperor. The face of the man she favored among all the royal children she had looked after was an entirely different person now. He masked his emotions from her, yet she could tell from her periodic glances to his large and beautiful eyes that he was immensely furious.

“Speak honestly and your life shall be spared,” Junhui uttered with a low, daunting voice that the court lady had never heard him use before.

“My lord, I swear upon my mother and my father’s bones, I did not harm anyone,” she professed weakly.

“Then how are you the only one from inside the Palace of Serene Grace who is standing before me right now?”

“I-I was the one who prepared the tea leaves, that I admit,” Huang stuttered. “But I tasted a brew myself before leaving batches in jars for the candidates to use. I do not know how the leaves have been tampered with.”

“How am I to be sure that you did not simply brew yourself an untampered cup?”

The senior court lady bit her dry lip. There must be an alibi she could use to defend her innocence. She traced every step she made right after waking up that same day. She jogged her memory (still strong even at her age) for every word she had said and every person she had met. Then it dawned on her.

“Imperial Consort Quan was with me during the preparations. He can vouch for me, my lord!”

Junhui drew out a long breath from his nostrils. “I see. But we will have to wait for the Imperial Consort to wake up first, am I correct?” he told her in a taunting tone. “That is... _if_ he wakes up.”

“Your Majesty! Senior Court Lady Huang is innocent!” cried a young woman at the entrance of the Bloody Court.

The familiar voice triggered Junhui to stand from his seat. He squinted to see Mingmei’s face clearly, though he didn’t have to for long since she passed the guards and knelt next to the old woman on the dirt.

“Mingmei,” Junhui sighed her name. “Thank the gods you are awake.”

He wanted to leave the raised platform he was on and run towards his sister-in-law. But he recalled the last time he saw her—unconscious in Yuanyou’s palace, wearing the robes of a concubine candidate. He stayed in place, settling to gaze longingly at her from a distance.

“Your Majesty, my brother is alive and well,” she told him. “So are the princesses and the other candidates.”

The weight in Junhui’s chest unlatched itself. His features softened and the warmth in his eyes returned. “Yuanyou...is alright?”

“Yes...and no, my lord,” Mingmei replied.

“What do you mean?”

The Imperial Consort had awoken earlier and sought for you in your palace but instead, he found me—” the noblewoman paused for a moment, thinking that Junhui would judge her for the reason why Yuanyou found _her_ , “—because I was also at your gates looking for you. He drank too much of the poisoned tea, and his body could not completely handle its effects. He rests back in his palace, and I come to you in his stead.”

His eyebrow quirked. “Both of you were looking for me?”

Mingmei kowtowed suddenly. “My lord, I implore you not to punish Court Lady Huang for something she did not do. My brother will tell you everything you need to know. Please have patience.”

The emperor felt a sudden sense of gratitude for her presence there. It was as if Yuanyou himself was in his sister’s place—taking note of Junhui’s words and the cadence of how he spoke, chiding him if he stepped out of line. This was Quan Mingmei after all. She was younger than the emperor, but like her brother, she had a maturity beyond her years. And for a moment, Junhui felt guilt for having to rely on the Quan twins. It was because of them that he was kept from doing the most insane things.

“I will do as you tell me, Lady Mingmei,” Junhui said with a soft voice. He called the guards. “Release Court Lady Huang at once.”

Huang’s shackles were undone and Mingmei helped her on her feet. The old woman bobbed her head in gratitude to both the emperor and his sister-in-law for sparing her life. Now, Junhui and Mingmei were left in the Bloody Court in the chilly night.

He finally stepped off the platform and approached the noblewoman, draping his thick outer robe over her shoulders.

“Your Majesty!” she shrieked at his unexpected action.

“Do not argue with me on this one,” Junhui whispered as he fastened the strings of his robe near her collarbone. “Do you not see how cold it is tonight?”

Mingmei’s body was warm again, but she figured it wasn’t just because of the robe. Junhui’s breath landed on the soft skin of her exposed neck every time he exhaled. The whirlpool of heat intensified in her core with every brush of Junhui’s hand on her clothed arms. The fabric seemed to jolt with static at his touches.

He slid his hand into hers. Mingmei turned away wishing that he doesn’t see her pinking cheeks.

“Come with me,” he told her.

“W-where?”

She wanted to bite her tongue that second. Not once has she ever stammered in front of him, not even when they were children and they teased each other. Why was she like this _now_ of all times?

“Let us go visit your brother. I am certain he would love to have both of us by his side when he wakes up.”

He dismissed his guards and led Mingmei to the paths going to Yuanyou’s palace. This wasn’t the first time they’ve traversed the imperial complex at night together. Though, tonight was very different. This time they weren’t children sneaking out at late hours just to go stargazing. Junhui was now the emperor, and Mingmei was a candidate engaging in a competition to become his concubine.

“Are you sure you are well, Ah-Mei?” asked Junhui when they were both out of any guards’ earshot.

Mingmei hid her growing smile behind the emperor’s robe (which she had noticed just then was his _golden_ robe). _Ah-Mei_ was a pet name reserved for her family to refer to her. Whether it was out of initial fear or genuine adoration for her royal friend, she had allowed Junhui to call her that when they were young. And since then, he would call her _Ah-Mei_ when they were left alone together.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am well. Why do you ask?”

The emperor stared out into the black expanse of the night sky while he walked alongside her. In her peripheral vision, Mingmei saw his pensive expression. She figured he was thinking of what could have happened had she not arrived in the Bloody Court sooner. An innocent soul might have been imprisoned for no reason, or worse, executed. For that split second she stepped on the dirt and knelt beside the old servant, she caught that ominous look on the emperor’s face. The Junhui she knew had a soft and gentle heart that ached whenever he was aware he’d hurt someone, physically or emotionally. Had the throne’s “curse” already possessed him in his tenure? She hoped it hadn’t.

“What are you doing as a concubine candidate?”

His question made Mingmei stumble in her steps. Her insides froze and her throat dried as she searched in her mind for something to say. “I am afraid I do not understand you.”

“I saw you in Yuanyou’s palace,” said Junhui, his eyes looking at the soil crunching beneath his boots. “Just like him and the princesses and the candidates, you were unconscious.”

“You might have mistaken someone else for me.” She brought her sleeves to cover the lower half of her reddening face.

“No. I am sure that was you in Minkui’s arms. You wore the same robes as the other noblewomen.”

She jerked her head towards him. “ _You_ were there? But...Physician Yin told me a minister was the one with Minkui.”

“She lied,” Junhui said instantly. “I told her to lie to you if you would ever wake up.”

“But why would you…?”

He looked at her this time. “Yuanyou would berate me if he found out I was even near his palace as the proceedings went on. He does not know about this. So please, keep this a secret between you and me. Can you do that for me, Ah-Mei?”

Mingmei’s core shook once again. She disliked that feeling. Her martial arts master once told her it’s that same feeling that teeters a person between fight or flight. If she focused on it, lingered on it for even just a second, she’d be better off dead.

But she loved that feeling too, especially in this context.   

“Now, tell me. Why are you a candidate?”

The noblewoman didn’t answer him immediately. She shut her eyes tight and exhaled. She couldn’t tell him the truth now, could she? Between her and Yuanyou, her twin brother made the best believable excuses at any given situation. She was most like Junhui in a way. Both of them were terrible liars.

When she didn’t speak for half a minute, Junhui spoke instead. “I thought you told me that you would never return my love for you no matter what?”

She swore her heart wanted to escape through her throat at that minute. Things can change, she wanted to tell him.

“I have my reasons for joining,” Mingmei said in the same tone she answered Jieqiong in the infirmary.

“I doubt it has anything to do with your family’s standing.” Junhui led her under the archway of Yuanyou’s palace. “Your brother is my consort. And before that, your father was and still is one of the most prominent court officials. What other reason do you have?”

Physician Hong met with them at the main entrance before Mingmei could come up with a reply (or another attempted lie). He informed them of Yuanyou’s condition.

“His Majesty is stable now,” he told the emperor. “But he will need to lessen his physical activities in the meantime. I will return after sunrise to check up on him again.”

Zhixiu bowed at them both and left the premises.

Junhui seemed to have forgotten what he asked Mingmei and strode towards the threshold. He stopped before going any further and whirled around.

“Come inside now. It is much warmer,” he told her.

Mingmei shook her head once. She untied the strings of Junhui’s robe and handed the clothing back to him.

“If it pays you no mind, I will be returning to my quarters, Your Majesty,” she said with a bow.

She bid him a good night and like Zhixiu, left the lot quietly. Junhui watched her leave in confusion but figured it was best for her to sleep in her own bed after that whole ordeal with the tea. He stepped inside, hoping that Yuanyou would wake up soon and tell him what really happened.

When Yuanyou finally opened his eyes the next day, he immediately gave the answers to Junhui’s questions. However, the emperor forgot to ask him another important question—the one regarding Mingmei’s curious words and actions.

* * *

Two days after the incident, Zhixiu and Jinghua confirmed that everyone was well enough to stand firmly on their feet, thus the concubine selections continued. As a precautionary measure, more imperial guards manned the entirety of Yuanyou’s palace lot. General Cui was added to the roster as well, following the emperor’s order.

Due to the sickness that befell the candidates, their individual permission slips given to them by their respective family physicians were rendered null. The eldest princess ordered them all to undergo a thorough physical reexamination in the presence of the women of the royal family.

“Must they go through this?” asked Yuanyou hiding behind a dark translucent curtain.

Despite being the Imperial Consort, he was a man, and that entailed for him to give the women some privacy _while_ still being in the same room as them.

“Yes, Your Majesty. It is protocol,” replied the elderly princess. “The imperial concubine must be in peak health to bear children for the emperor.”

The ladies stripped themselves of their outermost clothing while female physicians (led by Jinghua) checked their vitals. Among them, only Mingmei refused to remove her robe.

“My lady, please cooperate,” pleaded a young physician. “This will not take too long. We will be done before you know it.”

Still, Mingmei shook her head and pulled her robe’s collars tightly together.

“She must have an embarrassing birthmark somewhere on her body,” Cheng Xiao remarked.

“That or scars,” Jieqiong mockingly presumed. She looked at Mingmei with a smirk plastered on her face. “Go on now, Lady Mingmei. We are all women in here. No one will judge you.”

The longer she stalled, the more her chances of staying in the selections became slim. But if she removed her robe, the chances of her leaving were inevitable as well.

It was now or never. With one swift motion, she slipped her clothing off her shoulders. The other candidates in the room gasped at the sight of her body. It was fair like a white jasmine but covered in scars as Jieqiong had jokingly assumed. The gashes from the times she got caught under the blade of a sword were more concentrated around her arms. Some have faded to a puckered pink over time. Others appeared as if she’d received the cuts only a week ago.

Yuanyou sat in silence. He couldn’t see his sister clearly yet he was aware of exactly what the others saw. He chewed the insides of his cheeks in worry. His royal in-laws would never allow Mingmei to continue knowing she had scars like those.

After the physical examination, the eldest princess stood up and announced, “I hereby declare Lady Wu Xuanyi and Lady Quan Mingmei ineligible to continue participating in the concubine selection. Lady Wu for her thin and frail body, and Lady Quan for her numerous injuries.”

“Wait!” Yuanyou exclaimed. “As the Imperial Consort, I have the final say.”

He stepped out of the curtains now that all the candidates were clothed.

“Lady Wu has suffered greatly from the poisoned tea among the candidates, therefore I agree that she step down from the competition in order to fully recuperate. However, Lady Quan is still in perfect shape, regardless of her scars. Would you not agree that with her toughened body, she may be able to birth children easily compared to most noble women who are as fragile as flowers?”

“But, Your Majesty—”

Yuanyou turned towards the eldest princess. “If you are unsure of what the emperor might think of this, I can tell you with honesty. I know my husband better than anyone. And if in the event that Lady Quan is chosen to become his concubine, His Majesty will not see her scars as a ghastly sight unlike the rest of you. He values personality above all else. If a concubine can please him with wit and humor, then she may possibly please him as well on the bed.”

He felt the heat pooling in his cheeks. Yuanyou spoke from experience, but he didn’t mean to say that last part out loud.

“I can vouch for Consort Quan, Your Highnesses,” Jinghua said from the back of the room. “It is common for women with weak bodies to die giving birth or not conceive at all.”

The mood of the palace darkened at the physician’s blunt words. The candidates themselves silently agreed with her. Some of them have lost their own aunts, sisters, cousins, or mothers at childbirth.

On one side of the dais, the princesses gathered to discuss Yuanyou’s argument. It didn’t take them long to reach a final verdict.

The eldest princess rose and raised her pale veiny hand to grab everyone’s attention. “We have decided that Lady Quan Mingmei will continue participating in the concubine selection as a candidate.”

The corners of Mingmei’s lips stretched into a smile, but she quickly pulled them back into a flat line before anyone else could see. Her twin brother noticed it though, and they made eye contact for a few heartbeats. No words were shared between them. Still, Yuanyou knew from her fixed stare that she was grateful for his assistance. They both knew, too, that that may be the last time Yuanyou could ever help her in this competition _._ The Imperial Consort had to stay neutral and watch the unspoken carnage between the remaining candidates unfold in the upcoming rounds. From here on out, Mingmei was left to fend for herself if she wanted to stay this time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit (3-20-19): I'm currently finishing up chapter 7. I know, it's been ages. But I'm not about to drop this story until it's over. Thank you for reading and thank you for your patience! <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone still subscribed to this fic? I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG. After uploading chapter 6, I was accepted for my first job so obviously I didn't have enough time to write and edit at my usual pace. Work also drains so much of my energy that it's a miracle if I write or draw anything. 
> 
> Please enjoy the chapter and thank you for sticking around! Or if you're new here, hope you enjoy and hope you stick around! :D

The succeeding rounds of the concubine selections seemed to fall in Mingmei’s favor. First, they performed a solo dance depicting a classic legend (which she excelled in significantly with Cheng Xiao being a close second to her), then they played a musical instrument (which Yuqi and Jieqiong shone in with their  _ guzheng _ and  _ pipa,  _ respectively). Mingmei did fairly well with her  _ erhu _ and so did the other candidates. They all did so well in fact that in those two rounds, no one was else was eliminated.

Then Yuanyou devised another test for them — a written exam. When the noblewomen found out about it, they expectedly protested against it. 

“What is the meaning of this? We are not in this competition to enter the palace as imperial scholars!” cried Jieqiong.

One of the elderly princesses chided, “Lady Zhou! You will not speak to His Majesty in that tone of voice.”

Flustered, Jieqiong slumped back on her cushion. 

Mingmei didn’t take long to figure out the reason behind this exam. It was to weed out the ones who were not so bright. Yuanyou abhorred nobles who clearly had no idea what was going on in their own empire. She and her brother spent countless hours reviewing current events during their childhood, not even knowing when exactly their attained knowledge could be put to good use. Unfortunately, Yuanyou seemed to have believed in Mingmei’s own knowledge  _ too _ much. She wasn’t one to study as religiously as he did.

It was no surprise to her that Yuanyou made the exam particularly difficult. It wasn’t at the same level as the scholars’ exam, but it was way beyond what tutors taught children of aristocrats. He had questions pertaining to how much a sack of rice costs these days and how many trips to the village well it would take to fill a decent-sized bath if one only had a regular-sized bucket. 

“How are we supposed to know the answers to these?” Tzuyu complained loudly in the middle of writing on her parchment. “Servants would know them, but not us.”

Mingmei peered up at the dais while she hung her head. She could see a hint of a smirk on her brother’s lips, and she couldn’t help but smirk too at his enjoyment. The Imperial Consort said nothing. He, along with Hanshuai and a few other imperial scholars, watched the noblewomen for anyone attempting to cheat. 

To the candidates’ delight, Yuanyou slipped in some fairly easy questions they may know. Or rather,  _ should _ know. Questions pertaining to the emperor himself. Obviously, they would have been informed of him being the 8th emperor of the Wen dynasty. Or that, as a crown prince, he suggested a wise plan to his late father on how to keep the Yellow River from over-flooding during the monsoon season (a plan he formulated with Yuanyou’s assistance, of course). Mingmei was a tad bit disappointed that he hadn’t put in questions about Junhui’s early childhood or his odd food preferences. She would have surely aced that part.

An hour later, a gong was struck to signal midday and the end of the written exams. The imperial scholars gathered the candidates’ scrolls and handed them to Hanshuai for him to present them to Yuanyou. 

“I will review your answers and tally all the correct ones,” the Imperial Consort announced to them. “Mistakes will be deducted from the final tally. Those who get thirty points or more out of the fifty questions will move on to the next round. You may now take your leave.”

Yuanyou hadn’t told them about the grading system prior to taking the test. Because of that, cries erupted outside the walls of the Palace of Serene Grace.

“I guessed for more than ten of those questions!” Yuqi shrieked.

“At least you had guesses,” said Shuhua all teary-eyed. “Some of them might be right.”

“Jieqiong did well for sure.” Tingyan wiped a tear. “She is the smartest among us.”

Handong frowned. “Really? Do you not think that maybe Mingmei answered everything correctly?”

They all looked at Mingmei as she stepped out of the palace doorway. Thinking that they were talking behind her back again, Mingmei turned away, but the curiosity kept nipping at her that she just had to go up to them.

“What is the matter?”

“Nothing at all.” Jieqiong flashed a forced smile. “We were simply discussing the questions in the exam. They were difficult, were they not? Oh, but I believe you had an easy time. I can bet my family’s heirlooms that your brother tutored you on them.”

“Go ahead and say what you want. I had no clue His Majesty even prepared such.”

Confidence bubbled in Mingmei’s core when she managed to talk back at Jieqiong, but at the same time, her insides somersaulted uncontrollably. She waited for her rival’s reply, already thinking of what she could say in retaliation. Strangely enough, Jieqiong didn’t. The lady’s large, doll-like eyes grew in size  Instead, she hastily turned to her friends and nudged them to go towards a random direction away from Mingmei. 

A tap on her shoulder startled her as the other women scuttled away. Mingmei’s confusion turned to delight when she saw the man behind her.

“Minkui!” she said. “How are you, old friend? I have not seen you in a while.”

“I am doing well,” he replied chipperly. “You look more and more lovely as the days pass, Your Ladyship.”

Mingmei’s face glowed pink at his words. She didn’t expect him to say that, especially out in the open. She cleared her throat and covered half of her face with her folding fan.

“Thank you for the compliment, but I would rather you not compliment me like that from now on.”

“Is this because you may become the emperor’s concubine?” Minkui assumed yet his words held certainty. “I have been hearing talks from the other nobles that you might claim it.”

He led Mingmei to their favorite pond, away from the biting glances of the other girls. The only sounds that lingered there were of the wind and of silence. Mingmei enjoyed the quiet as she was a quiet one herself. Minkui was more of a talker. It worried her sometimes, especially when she would share secrets to him. She had to forcibly shut him up if he spoke too much around the courtiers. He didn’t speak much today. He had his moments. The noblewoman never prodded him to speak whenever it happened. Instead, she basked in the silence beside her friend.

“What made you decide to do this?” Minkui finally asked her. 

The question yanked Mingmei back from her daydreaming.

Minkui added, “The title? Palace comforts?” His eyes shifted to the side for a second. “Or is it love?”

Ah, Jin Minkui, she thought, gullible on most days yet sharp-eyed when you least expect it.

He asked her a question. She had to answer.

“How would you react if it was the third thing you said?” Mingmei muttered.

A sudden warmth on her hand startled her. Minkui had twined his fingers to hers—tightly—just as they did when they were children. Memories of racing to the peach trees, feeding the ducks in the pond, and making fake promises of everlasting love painted pictures of themselves in her thoughts. This wasn’t the first time they did that. She’d burned the canvasses repeatedly for years. But as long as Minkui stood in front of her...beside her...behind her to wrap his strong arms around her, those paintings revived from the ashes and hung themselves in the galleries of her mind.

Minkui released his hold. “As long as it is what your heart desires the most,” he said, then faced the opposite path to take his leave.

She didn’t want to admit it, but there were several things Mingmei desired the most. It was a greedy thing to want so much. Money, fame, rank...many people thirsted for those. She cared for none of that, honestly. 

Yet it was impossible for her to attain what she wanted unless she was in her twin brother’s shoes. Oh, the things she could have if she were the imperial consort instead. 

Mingmei wanted Junhui. 

And if her heart was indeed truthful, she wanted Minkui too.

 

Yuanyou shifted between giggles and groans with every new line of answers he read from the candidates’ scrolls. The young noblewomen of the empire were definitely more creative than they appear. Some were witty. Others were incredibly unbelievable. From those he’d finished checking, he had several of the girls well on their way to the chopping block. He still had Jieqiong and Mingmei’s scrolls left.

His hand jerked when the floorboards of his silent room creaked. A thick streak of fresh black ink defaced one of the questions on Jieqiong’s scroll. Junhui stepped inside, eyes heavy-lidded from fatigue but mouth in a bright, square-shaped grin. He knelt next to Yuanyou and leaned his head on his left shoulder.

“What are you up to, dearest?”  The words were weak and slurred. Not from liquor but from being so tired of speaking in meetings all day.

“I am checking your concubine candidates’ answers,” Yuanyou said, leaning the side of his head in Junhui’s smooth hair. “I gave them questions about you for added amusement. They seem to know about you very much.”

Junhui’s eyes scanned his spouse’s desk, carefully keeping his head still.

“What are  _ you _ up to, dearest?” asked Yuanyou, still focused on checking the scrolls. 

“Where is Mi...eiqi’s scroll?” Junhui cleared his throat in between the two names, hoping his spouse didn’t notice his near slip-up. 

Yuanyou put down his ink brush and kissed Junhui’s head. “I can tell you now that she did not make it to the next round.”

“Ah. Pity.”

“So, you like her?”

“Not in the way you think,” Junhui uttered. “I thought she was a smart one.”

“She is smart in other areas,” Yuanyou defended Meiqi, though he didn’t know why. “She must have been nervous throughout the whole exam.”

The emperor picked up a random scroll Yuanyou finished checking and skimmed through the questions. His brows furrowed as he continued browsing the words until the confusion became evident on his face. 

“Why must your questions be so...unnecessarily difficult?”

“What are you talking about? This is common knowledge!” said Yuanyou confidently.

“For the townsfolk, yes. But for nobles?”

His consort pouted. “Can  _ you _ answer them?”

Junhui laughed out the nervousness building up in his throat. He sat up straight. “Of course! See here...kumquats cost three gold pieces a basket nowadays. That I know. And, and...rice matures after six months.”

“Four to five, actually,” Yuanyou corrected. “If that were the case, we would have rice harvests only once a year.”

“Can you imagine the reaction of Lord Li if it were as such?” Junhui held in a chuckle thinking of the vertically-challenged lord of the western territories of the empire.

His question hung in the air for a quick moment until the humor bug finally bit them both. Junhui guffawed so hard he tumbled down, rolling on his back like the innocent child he once was. Yuanyou couldn’t help but laugh himself. These were the moments the imperial couple enjoyed the most. It was a little thing like this that brought light to the otherwise bleak and stale court life they were both born into.   

The giggles subsided and Junhui let out a yawn. 

“You must sleep now.” Yuanyou pushed back the loose fringes of Junhui’s hair covering his forehead. “Your work continues at dawn.”

“So must you, my dear.”

“I will soon.” Yuanyou yawned too. “But I have to finish this first. Good night, love.”

The emperor didn’t bother to protest. He walked himself out with what little strength and royal dignity he had left in his tired bones. The night’s temperature pierced through his layered silks, and Junhui shivered the moment he stepped out the threshold. For a brief second, he turned to look back at his handsome consort who was watching him leave with a flat line of a smile. 

Yuanyou pulled his cloak tighter around him and shook off the fatigue hypnotizing his mind let go of his work and rest. Not yet. Not until this was over. He checked the last two scrolls. First, Jieqiong’s, and then his twin, Mingmei’s. As he rolled his sister’s parchment back to its original form, he breathed a heavy sigh. He set aside two piles: the failed ones and the passers.

The night was going to be long, but the concubine selections wouldn’t be for much longer.

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
